Margot Asquith

Raised at the Tennant family home in Scotland, Margot Asquith grew up in a world of wealth, politics, and lively conversation. Her formal schooling was limited, but she read widely and moved early in fashionable and influential circles, developing the quick tongue and strong opinions that later made her famous.

In 1894 she married H. H. Asquith, who would go on to become British prime minister in 1908. As the wife of a leading Liberal statesman, she stood near the center of public life in London and became known for her bold personality, sparkling conversation, and large circle of friends and correspondents.

She was also a writer in her own right. From an early age she kept diaries, and in later life she published autobiographical works and other books drawn from her experiences. Those writings remain valuable not just for their gossip and humor, but for the firsthand glimpse they give of British political and social life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.